Mail-box station



May 24, 1927. 1,629,620 5 M. M. HARMONY y l MAIL vBox4 STATION Filed April 28, 1926 EE m @AW/" 'E 'E 4 along rural y tree vidual who may compartment Patented May 2.4, 1927.

UNITED STATES! nai-intona, or cannon, omo.

. runnin M.

:Mein-nox stre'rron.

' Application filed April 28, 1926.7'

lfhe invention relates to Vmail boxes, and more vparticularly to mail boxes tor use delivery routes wherein itis desired to provide a station for a plurality of boxes each belonging to an indilive away trom the main route; and the objects of the improvement lare to provide stations including new and improved case sections providing` compartments for a plurality ot maily boxes` arranged 'so that the mail-carrier may lill all the boxes and take mail troni one si le of the case? and may leave packages in a top provided with an inwardly swinging spring hinged door; and Yturthejr objects et' the invention are to provide individual boxes interchangeably litting inany ot the compartment's,y tor use either mail delivery boxes to be lilled by the mail-carrier through a slot at one end and to be emptied by the box owner by means ot a 1Key 'locked hinged door at the other endl` or for reverse mounting in a compartment for receiving` out-going mail trom the box owners through a slot at one end located on the saine side as the locked doors of the in-coming mail receiving boxes. and provided with a locked door on its other end located on the same side of the case as the slot-s for the iii-coming mail receiving boxes, the atoresaid boxes being interchangeable for use either as incoming or out-going mail boxes, and there being in general one out-going` mail box associated with a plurality ot iii-coming mail boxes in the case compartments.

A urtheriobject of the invention is to provide improved latch means tor retaii'iing the separate boxes in the compartments at the will of the box owner. such means being easily operable by the box owner upon open-V ing the locked hinged door by the usel ot the owners key, but being inoperable troni an adjacent compartment.v thereby preventingtheft et the individual boxes or their contents except by. to tit the individual box lock, or by cious destruction of the box.

A preferred embodiment ot is illustrated in the accompanying forming part hereof.y in which-d Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of a station provided with a plurality of case sections having a plurality ot box compartments with boxes therein for inmalithe invention drawing,

v13. rprovided with upper the malicious use ot a heyV `ot apertures 40 Serial No. 105,117.

section-provided with aA hinged end door ttor receiring;` packages;

Fig. Qn a sectional perspective view of one ol the individual mail boxes; and

ll 3. a fragmentary longitudinal section ot the station. as on plane BMS, Fig. l.

Similar numerals re'ter to similar parts throughout the drawing.

rl.`he improved mail box station indicated generally at l0. may include corner legs ll secured as by bolts l2 to the corners oli a singleticr mail box compartment sections end flanges .lll which may be secured by bolts l5 with the lower 'end tlanges i6 ol' another. and preferably identical, superposed mail box conniartnient section 'li-l. f

The upper en-,l flanges i4 otl the upper sectionmay be secured as bybolts l5 to the lower end The roei" section 2l is preferably with an iii-swinging spring hinged end Q2 which may be carrier for insertii'ig parcels inthe compartment Q27) ot the root section 2l.

The sections 13 are divided vas by partitions 241 into a plurality of equal compartments interchangeably receiving the iniproved mailboxes 2G.

Each mail box'26 includes a bottom wall 27, upwardly extending side walls 28 and 28', one end wall 29 provided with a mail slot 30 and havingan in-swingii'ig slotted flap 81 io'r protecting the interior-ot the boxes trom vthe elements, and another ond wall door 32 hinged as at 33 with a side wall 28 ot' the box and provided preferably at a central location along its side edge opposite provided door the hinge with a key actuated lock Each box is moreover provided with a spring` latch having aidowiiwardly extending` latch tongue 36 vvprojecting through a centrally located slot 27 in the bottom wall 27 of the box. I

Each section ot the mail station is provided wit-h a double bottom wall including a` lower imperforate wall 3S and an upper peitorate wall 39 infovided with a plurality cuitrally located in each compartment 25 tor receiving the tongue 36 of the spring latch 35.

By the above construction the mail box 2G may be inserted in any ot' the compartments 9,5 with either its mail slot end or locked coming and out-going mail, and with a root door end appearing at a given side as 41 flanges Q0 oit a root section 2l..

pushed in by the mail` of the station, which maybe here designated for convenience the carriers side oil the station` 'Ille spring latch 35 of each box, having' its downwardly extending' latched tongue 36 projectine` through the aperture l0 in the upper bottom wall 39 ot a station section secures the box against lateral movement in the compartment` and the lower imperorate bottom wall vents operation olfv the spring latch except from the .interior ot the box.

The bolt ot the lock 341- ot each box cooperates with a suitable flange 28 on the Wall 28 for locking` the door 32 by means of a box owners key.

Consequently each .individual box' may not be moved in or removed from its compartment without tirst opening' the lock provided end' door 32 by vthe use of the owners key or a duplicate thereof.

s illustrated in Fig'. l., the carriers sid, 41 of the station dseoses a plurality of com'- pa'rtmentsiilied with boxes havingtheir slot ends 20! at the carriers side oi" the station, so that the postman may till the separate boxes with mail through the several slots 30, and a single box for out-going' mail havinflits lockdoor end 32 at the carriers side for opening by the use oit a key kept by the postman. the slot end ot this box being located opposite thereto at the box owners side of the station, and the lock end of all the other boxes being'- located at the box owners side of the station.

Then the station is thus arranged` thc carrier may go to the carriers side of -the station as in a vehicle, till each b'ox with its mail through the slotsBO, and remove outgoing" mail from the out-going` mail box having" its locked door end at the carriers side of the station, all without moving' from his vehicle.

It is contemplated that a plurality of stations will be set up. throughout a `given country, and since each of the compartments interchangeable. a box owner may purchase a box and take the same with him for use at whichever station is nearesty his' home, irrespective of how many times he may move.

I claim:

l. A mail box station having aV mail-carriers side and a box owners side` and i11- cudinoa section having a plurality ot box compartments. each compartment having a pair ot opposite open ends, one endbeinp; at the carriers side of the station and the other end being at the owners side of the station,

Z433 ol.Z the section prea plurality of mail boxes, each box having a slotted end and a lockabledoor end-opposite each other` each box interchangeably fitting` in any of the compartments, and each box end interchangeably itting either of the compartaient.' open ends.y some of the boxes having;y their slotted ends at the carriers side oft the station and one of the boxes having its door endk at the carriers side of the station. Y

2. mail box station including a section having` a lower imperforate bottomwall, and an upper bottom wall having` apertures therein andI spaced from the lower imperi; orate bottom walha plurality of box compartments in the sect-ion7 eachv compartment havingl apair of opposite-openends, a-mail box having' a slotted end and a'loc-loible door end opiiosite each other.l the box interchangeably fittingin yany of the co1npartments7 and a catch; operable vfrom the interior of the box for cooperation with one ot the apertures in the upper bottom` Wall for retainingr the box in any compartment.

A mail box station' including asection haviiijaj a lower imperforate bottom-y Wall, alud an upper bottom wall having= apertures t rei-ein torate bottoni wall, a' plurality of box-compartments in the section, each compartmenty ha vino` a pair ot' opposite openendsa mail box having a slotted end anda lockabledoor end opposite each otheizthe l'ioxfinterchangeably fitting in any ot' the con'ipartments, and either end of the box interchangeably fittino` either of' the compartment open ends, and a catch operable from the interior of the box for cooperation with'one ofthe apertures inthe upper bottom wall/for retaining the box in any compartment.

et. A mail box station including' ay section having a closure panel' including. plural walls, one of the walls having` apertures therein and being spaced from the'other wall, and the other wall beinflr imperforate opposite the apertures, a plurality of box con'ipartnients in the section,eachfcompart- 'ment having` a pair ot opposite open ends, a mail box havinga slottedfend and=avlocli able door end opposite'eachotherythebox interchange-ahy fitting' Ain any of the com` partments1 and a catch-operable from the interior oit' the box for cooperation with one of the apertures in one of the walls torretainingr the box in any compartment.

In testimony that I elaiinthe above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

Minnie M. iiiiaiionfr.

and spaced fromthe lower imper-Y 

